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Post by paulf on Oct 8, 2017 11:38:34 GMT -5
How long is your growing season? Either last frost to first frost...or for the southerners who have no frost planting dates to burned to a crisp dates.
From my journals: ten years ago last frost averaged about April 25 to last week in October. The past five years last frost mid-April with planting out the first week of May and we have been frost free until mid-to late November.
Everything in the garden is done growing except zucchini...it has begun flowering again and peppers...they are going strong. A few tomatoes are putting on blossoms, but there is not enough time left for them to do much...silly tomatoes.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Oct 8, 2017 12:15:33 GMT -5
If you go by last frost to first frost, I have from May 16th to October 16th to Grow All The Things.
However, I have harvested tomatoes as late as November 9th. I've pushed the early date by planting some seeds out late March or mid April, but I still hold off on tomatoes until almost Memorial Day or later. We've had freak frosts that weekend before, so I wait as long as I can before getting the tomatoes and peppers in.
Honestly, we've usually had a frost by now, where I've covered everything and tried to squeak out a longer season. We haven't had that frost yet though, and no sign of it on the horizon, so I just keep tending and growing. It is to the point, however, that if we get a frost, I will just let it take everything except the newer planted lettuce. That's one bed I'll cover with a flannel sheet if I have warning, which is much better than the whole garden.
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Post by spike on Oct 8, 2017 13:41:22 GMT -5
At best the last week of May but usually the first 2 weeks of June. Usually everything is out of the garden no later then the middle (at best) of September. Well except things like turnips.
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Post by meandtk on Oct 8, 2017 14:05:49 GMT -5
First week of March to second week of November. Of course, you are correct about the heat of summer; and we can also grow greens through the winter most winters.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 8, 2017 14:56:05 GMT -5
My last frost date is 5-1, which is when tomatoes start going out, but peas get planted in mid-March, and cold weather crops in early April. Our last frost date used to be 10-12, but I think there was only one frost in (late) October in the last 10 years, and one year it was after Thanksgiving! Still, I usually clean up everything except the greens by Halloween, getting ready for the garlic and shallots going in, about a week into November.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Oct 9, 2017 1:30:45 GMT -5
First week of March to second week of November. Of course, you are correct about the heat of summer; and we can also grow greens through the winter most winters. What he said ^, though I would have put my first frost at the third week of November. Only the most heat-tolerant veggies survive July and August, like he said. And there are a bunch of greens and root veggies that grow all winter, not to mention onions, garlic, and some herbs. Broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts can usually go all winter with some protection if there's a hard freeze. So I'd have to say that I grow year-round here. Though some years I wonder why I bother with July and August. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/uJ3wHzVudwy0q4vAqilQ.png)
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Post by september on Oct 9, 2017 9:48:24 GMT -5
Our area is listed at about 129 frost free days, May 27 through Sept 23. But I live next to a lake, so my warmer lake water micro climate keeps early fall frosts away for much longer. No frost here yet, though tomorrow night it's supposed to go down to 28F and the lake water has been cooling rapidly, so it could happen.
Ideally, I plant out tomatoes and peppers the last week of May. But we can still get light frosts the first week of June, so I have buckets and covers ready. I don't remove anything from the garden until frost has killed it.
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